I officially amstanding in line for a kit now. Troy told me yesterday that it will be mid to late October until one is available. Said I'll probably be in the 120's, possible 130's. He said they got a lot of orders since Oshkosh. I amdriving down to the Factory from Pennsylvania next Wednesday to visit them for the first time in SC and see them actually building. I'm excited about that. I'm also clearing a spot for a large 24x24 shed on my property where I'll be building the kit from. We'll run utilities out to it once my father in law shows up later in September. He's in the heavy construction business and makes a living running large machinery. I'm also going to have him smooth out the land where the strip will run down towards the shed, etc.

One thing I've read in some posts was in regards to engines and warranties. I checked it out further and to the best of my knowledge here is what I found. Once you purchase (not fire up) an engine, the warrantee begins. Lockwood in Florida said they will extend the warrantee by 6 months if you call them but that is it. Troy confirmed this. He said he hasn't had any problems with engines needing to use the warrantee in the first place but as someone shelling out 15k, he would hold off on purchasing one until actually needed. I just thought I would point this out in case somone knows of something better. If so, who did you purchase the engine trough that backs it up until it is started, etc.

If you buy your engine through Just Aircraft, (or any OEM) you have one year from that purchase to build your aircraft. After that, the six month warranty begins. Of course, once you start your engine for the first time, the six month warranty begins. I waited until the week before my FAA (actually DAR) inspection to start the engine for the first time, as I took less than a year to build.

The reason I can state the above is I was concerned about the warranty period and called Rotax about it. My warranty runs from 7/1/06 to 1/1/07.

Alan

If I had known I would live this long I would have taken better care of myself.

I got back yesterday from my factory visit and it was great. I got to see my wings getting built and they are welding the frame up as I type this. I even brought home the parts like the cowl and wing tips that are fragile as I never expected to get my kit so fast. Next weekend I should be back to pick up the rest. I'm now kit # 121. What a blast to see it all. I highly recommend visiting if at all possible. I even covered a horizontal stab. to learn and help someone else out. I also got a ride in the Escapade (my kit is a Highlander) but it flew great and I got to do the famouse 480 foot approach into their factory. That is a blast unto itself! Filmed it as well. Took almost 200 pictures and can't wait to return soon.

Have you started on the cowling yet? What are you waiting for? What did you think of the "landing strip" at the Wallhalla shop? I have not flown into there, or any strip that has that much grade to it. For that matter I have yet to land anywhere other than a real runway, some sod mostly hardsurface.

I do have plans to land in more interesting places once my confidence in the highlander and my own skills is high.

I enjoyed my visit to the plant last December, I didn't end up with much time there, I got lost and could not find the trailer place where I purchased the enclosed trailer, and then got lost finding the Walhalla address, and my uncle who is a local was navigating. I just ran out of time.

I bought a trailer from a dealer near Greenville. I made the purchase over the phone. I decided that since gas was almost $2.25 a gallon, it would make sense to only pull the trailer one way (from my house to Wallhalla was 1750 miles). I actually sold the trailer to a contracter who lives just down the road from me, 2 weeks before I left for South Carolina. I made $54 dollars on the trailer and got to use it for free. The trailer was $1,000 cheaper in south Carolina than at a dealer in South Dakota, for the same brand and size.